Last June, James had breakfast at a local Waffle House in Port Arthur, Texas, before getting into his beloved Corvette with his dog. When he shut the car door, authorities say the vehicle was suddenly without power, apparently because a battery cable became loose.

Corvettes made after 2004 are one of the few cars in existence that do not have door handles. Without power the electric door release button would not work.

The 72-year old U.S. Army veteran tried desperately to escape and couldn't call for help because he had forgotten his cell phone.

The heat index that day reached over 98 degrees.

His body was discovered four hours later, behind the wheel. His dog was found at his side, also dead.

His son, Troy says his father's last hours must have been agonizing.

“He had the owner's manual laying in his lap trying to find a way to get out,” Troy said.

Even more tragic is that there was a simple way out. When you're stuck in a Corvette made after 2004 and you lose battery power, there's a manual release and you just pull up on it.

James Rogers could have instantly opened the door with the pull of a lever if he only knew it was there.

Guerrero said: “Now I’m stuck in the car I can't get out using the electronics system. I'm stuck. And I can't open the door. It's not working electronically. But all I had to do was open it manually. It worked.”